The union is aiming for a seven per cent pay increase in a new four-year contract and parity measures to give auxiliaries equal access to benefits already used by university professors. The state government would discriminate fighting union workers who wanted to negotiate a collective agreement, BCGEU said today. The union released its list of the top ten salary increases for university administrators and announced that rotating work actions will move Friday to Kwantlen University College. “The Campbell government gives university administrators pay increases of 20 to 40 per cent and then tells our members not to settle for anything,” said BCGEU President George Heyman. “Their double standards are worrisome and radiate hypocrisy. BCIT`s directors hold five positions in the top ten, with increases of 20.4 to 40 per cent on salaries ranging from $102,713 to $163,521. The trustees of Kwantlen College have three positions on the list, with increases of 22.3 to 24 percent on salaries in the range from $112,165 to $117,622. Douglas College executives hold two positions, with a salary increase of 22.5 to 32.2 per cent between $100,633 and $136,391. A full list of salary increases for university administrators is available on the BCGEU website at www.bcgeu.ca. Current collective agreements can be found on the website of the Association of Post-Secondary Employers.
“The Campbell Liberals promised to lift the wage freeze after the next election, when they were sitting on a $2 billion surplus this year. Meanwhile, the government insists that public sector wages apply to workers who have frozen wages for 5 of the past 7 years, and only 4.4 percent in the other two — far less than other public sector employees. It is time for them to have the same right to fair regulation as university administrators. BCGEU represents more than 1,600 auxiliary officers at the bc colleges and institutes involved in these negotiations. Kwantlen University College operates campuses in Surrey, Newton, Richmond and Langley on the Lower Mainland. “The Campbell Liberals sabotaged our negotiations with their zero-wage mandate,” Heyman said. “Labour Minister Graham Bruce says he hopes colleges and workers can negotiate an agreement, but his government has given us nothing to negotiate. If they can authorize massive wage increases for bureaucrats, our members certainly deserve a fair increase to keep up with inflation. The financial reporting legislation prepared by the colleges shows the top 10 salary increases for college administrators over the past two years. Bob McKenzie, EXECUTIVE director of administrative services at BCIT, received a 40 per cent salary increase with an annual salary of $112,753. The faculty and support staff of Douglas College are represented by the Douglas College Faculty Association (DCFA) and the British Columbia Government and Service Employees` Union (BCGEU). . Detached workers are covered by the terms and conditions of sale.